Method for producing a woven elastic bandage or like fabric



c m-n 4 Harold F. Sherman; Little ComptomR; I;

NorDrawin p'h i atienlune 1.7,-1 53,

' TSeri No 362.510

1,3. Claims. .1 (Cl: 2.8-e16) .-.'Ihis. invention relates in general to woven rubberless elastic fabrics ,and, in ,particular, to a .woven elastic .fabric structure containing elastic threads .as warp or n M beth warp a l lfi n o hi h y st tch crimped synthetic textile, yarns vvhich are of the superpolyamide class.

' The p n .i ven io ccmemplatc nneo it 'term a one-way stretch woven elastic fabric or bandage employing ,thprcin; as, warp .or ,filling highly stretchable elastic threads of .supernolya nide yam shaving permanently crimped properties and interwoven with relatively inelastic threads. of ...either.cotton,..or :regular multi-filament 1 superpolyamide. yarn. suchv .as. .regulart Du Pont multi-filaunent nylon yarn, .orof. other .plain'ordinary commercial yarns, to-form-a..unitary.fabric. ,Illq-itS preferred .-struc- .ture, such a .woven. elastic 'fabricnor bandadgezhas its highstretch or. elastic. properties imparted thereto .in. the direction that the. fabric is .to.stretch-.by employing as the entirewarp. onas the entire filling thereof, as the case may be, elastic threads of highly stretchable resilient permanently-crimped nylon yarn which have been processed mechanically in accordance with the so-called Helanca process to give it elasticity, which yarn is depicted, described and claimed in the L. A. Billion Patent No. 2,564,245, dated August 14, 1951, and produced by highly twisting a multi-filament nylon yarn up to between 3000 to 4000 turns per meter, shrinking the twisted yarn to impart crimping and kinking effects thereto and setting the yarn by treatments under conditions of controlled heat and moisture, drying and untwisting this twist from the set yarn to leave the resultant yarn at substantially zero twist, and then subjecting this yarn to treatment in a heated aqueous medium whereby the tension of the filaments of said yarn is released. This resulting thread may be used as a single yarn or it can be made into two-ply with no twist by plying it with a thread similarly treated but back twisted to substantially no twist after having initially been highly twisted in an opposite direction. Such crimped nylon yarn has a stretchability of at least 100%. Permanently crimped nylon yarn having a long stretch range as thus-indicated and good contracting or return properties made by other known crimping processes may be employed, if desired, in lieu of that produced by the aforementioned Billion patent. The crimped elastic yarns used in the woven fabric as herein contemplated, however, need not be restricted to nylon since other crimped superpolyamide yarns may be substituted therefor to provide high stretch or elastic properties to such woven elastic fabrics.

If a more absorbtive bandage fabric is desired, cotton or other textile fiber of an inelastic and absorptive character can be used as the weft or filling threads woven with the elastic crimped nylon warp yarn above-described, and in such case, the stretch obviously will be warpwise since the crimped nylon yarns extend in that direction only in the woven product thus made.

If a two-way stretch fabric is desired as is herein contemplated as another form of the present invention, crimpite States Patent Patented Oct. 22, 1957 ,ednylon yarn madeby the method .of the aforesaidBillion patentisemployed for-the entire warp :and. the. en-

-. tire fillingof. theQfabIric.

[Inf Weaving, one.-.-\\l. ay-v stretch woven fabrics and two-way .stIetCh WOYen, fabricsthe crimpedelaStic'; nylon yarns when used either as warp or. filling threadsasintlie case .of the former,, and.when used asboth warp and filling threads ,as in. the. case; 0f;.the latter, ,are: stretched under tension ;to substantially ,Iheir fully extended linear ,or

,. straight condition .and ,warpandfilling groups of threads arefinterwoveninto an. open -weave fabricstructure such as in an open plain leno weave douping every pick, or in a two and two lisle weave, or in. a: straight ,marquisette ,weaveas, desired. ,Thefabricrthuswoven as it comes olf the loom willhave', little or. no stretch in. either direction, i. e.,,warpwise,and.fillingwise, butthe desired elastic prope r ties ,are imparted thereto. by wetting Tout the thus-woven fabric at. a temperatureof. 170 For higher with or without useboof a wetting-out agent, ,then, shrinking suchj fabric in cold-.watenand,subsequently,drying and setting the moist shrunkfabric..vilithout tension at .a temperature. of 21.2 F-. orhigher.

' As a specific. example. of a One-Way, stretch all-nylon are woven together into a fabric structurein amanner characteristicofa twoandtwolisleweave. .Thatis to say,

th e st c Warp threads -,are Woven .in a two up ..and two down .weave with relation. to ,.all.the filling threads. This woven bandageffabric aftertit, comes offthe loom then is subjected as it is,,unw0.undffrom,its roll to awetting-out treatment at 'a temperature of 170 F. or higher with or Without use of a wetting-out agent, followed by shrinking of the resulting fabric in cold water, after which it is dried and set without tension at a temperature of 212 F. or above. The resulting bandage fabric is found to have a range of stretch after the shrinking, drying and setting treatments just-described from about 60% to of the finished fabric length.

Among the advantages of my invention is that a light, extremely thin and strong elastic bandage can be made which is comfortable to wear and has a soft velvety feel when contracted. It has a soft stretch, pulls out with ease and will lightly conform to any shape which it surrounds to give support to the area encompassed without holding it too tightly as to restrict movement of the bound area or to impede circulation. The extremely high strength of the nylon elastic warp threads makes the bandage high suitable for binding bone fractures, use as a tourniquet to stop the flow of blood, and if bound with a relative 1y soft tension will allow freedom of movement in joints. Because of its thinness and lightness such a bandage is particularly adaptable for binding sprained ankles, knees or elbows, or varicose veins, and when-stretched its openness will readily allow light and air to get to the bound part where inflammation exists besides being capable of staying in place without bulk. The bandadge will wash easily and it will retain its high stretchable properties indefinitely.

Such limb or body bandages, as just-described, may be made in different widths varying in range from 2 inches to 6 inches wide and when stretched their length is about 5 /2 yards.

An elastic fabric as herein contemplated also may be made in wide goods wherein crimped nylon yarn may be used in the filling in leno-weave with regular nylon or superpolyamide warp yarn in comparatively coarse sley construction thereby allowing the fabric to contract fillingwise. After shrinking and drying the resultant fabric could be slit warpwise into any desired widths. This fabric 3 either before or after slitting may be treated with an adhesive and made into stretchable band-aids. The stretch would be width-Wise in such fabric strips. The usual gauze pad for covering a wound would be attached to the adhesive side of this bandage fabric.

Another field of use in which such a leno-weave fabric composed of all-nylon yarns with crimped nylon yarn as the filling is for brassieres, foundation garments, girdles, linings for bathing suits, etc.

By the term wetting-out is meant the process of Wetting or saturating the fibers of the woven fabric or bandage with water. By the term wetting-out agent is meant a substance that is capable of lowering the surface tension of the water when added thereto so that the fibers will wet more rapidly.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of making an elastic rubberless woven fabric which comprises in interweaving warp and filling groups of threads into an open-weave fabric structure, the threads of one of said groups disposed in the direction in which the final fabric is to stretch being of a permanently crimped superpolyamide yarn set in said condition and being woven in their stretched straight condition with relatively inelastic threads forming the other group, then wetting-out the thus-woven fabric at a temperature of 170 F. or higher with or without use of a wetting-out agent, shrinking the resulting fabric in cold water, and thereafter drying and setting the moist shrunk fabric without tension at a temperature of 212 F. or higher to permit the crimped superpolyamide yarns to contract and become kinky and elastic.

2. The method of making a thin, light, all-nylon elastic bandage having substantial stretch and a soft velvety feel when contracted, which consists in interweaving warp and filling groups of threads of nylon yarns in an openweave fabric structure, the threads of one of said groups disposed in the direction in which the final fabric is to stretch being of crimped set nylon yarns woven in their stretched straight condition with the threads of the other group, then wetting-out the thus-woven fabric at a temperature of 170 F. or higher with or without use of a wetting-out agent, shrinking the resulting fabricin cold Water, and subsequently drying and setting the moist shrunk fabric without tension at a temperature of 212 F. or higher to permit the crimped nylon yarns to contract and become kinky and elastic.

3. The method of making a rubberless woven elastic bandage which comprises in interweaving warp and fi1ling groups of threads into an open-weave fabric structure, the threads of one of said groups disposed in the direction in which the final fabric is to stretch being of a permanently crimped nylon yarn set in said condition and being woven in their stretched straight condition with cotton threads forming the other group, then wetting-out the thus-Woven fabric at a temperature of 170 F. or higher with or without use of a wetting-out agent, shrinking the resulting fabric in cold water, and thereafter drying and setting the shrunk fabric Without tension at a temperature of 212 F. or higher to permit the crimped nylon yarns to contract and become kinky and elastic.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,035,107 Teufel Aug. 6, 1912 1,823,053 Lawton Sept. 15, 1931 1,875,740 Klein Sept. 6, 1932 2,352,245 Bell June 27, 1944 2,379,574 Goldthwait July 3, 1945 2,574,029 Foster Nov. 6, 1951 2,575,008 Dorgin Nov. 13, 1951 2,627,644 Foster Feb. 10, 1953 

